Peru is on something of a tear in the Unofficial Football World Championships — the hugely enjoyable competition that uses a boxing-style title system dating back to the first-ever international match to determine which nation is the current title holders.
Everyone loves a bit of trivia. Granted, we might not be very good at it, but it’s a fun thing to do. Given that the World Cup is right around the corner, we’ve come up with 18 interesting bits of trivia about this year’s World Cup that you can use to impress your friends, parents, neighbours and even your dog if you want. So, without further ado, here's 18 interesting facts about this World Cup that you didn't know.
Well, Zinedine Zidane went and did it again. Despite everyone constantly doubting his managerial credentials and tactical know-how, Zidane won his third straight UEFA Champions League title on Saturday, becoming the first manager to win the European Cup three times in a row.
Zidane now officially stands alone as the greatest “rookie” manager ever — meaning the Frenchman’s success in his first-ever major coaching role has been unrivaled throughout history.
Since its introduction in 1992 as a replacement for the European Cup, the UEFA Champions League has served as the world’s premier club tournament. The prestigious competition is where legends are born, and those legends don’t get any bigger than the players with the most career goals in Champions League history.
With his goal against Brighton today, Mohamed Salah broke the previous record and became the Premier League top scorer for a 38-game season. Here's the moment he broke the record:
How was that record-breaking goal, @MoSalah?! #LIVBHA pic.twitter.com/gykGQxrnRS
A 99-year stay in Germany’s top flight (including a place in the Bundesliga since its foundation in 1963) was brought to a dramatic end for Hamburger SV on Saturday afternoon after the club’s 2-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach was rendered meaningless by Wolfsburg’s win against Cologne on the final match day.
Kicking a ball hard can be a useful skill in soccer. Instead of tiki-takaing your way down a field, you can simply hoof the ball to the other side of the pitch with one strong-legged kick. With that in mind, a goalkeeper being able to kick the ball farther than anyone would be valuable, just like hitting a home run or shooting a 3-pointer. So what’s the Guinness World Record for the longest drop kick? The answer may surprise you.
Although Barcelona has already celebrated its La Liga title, the stakes are as high as ever ahead of this spring's edition of El Clasico. Real Madrid will almost certainly finish the season in second or third, but they'll be plenty motivated to keep Barcelona from joining the ranks of invincible soccer teams.
Cristiano Ronaldo is now the player with most UCL victories in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
After Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 1-2 in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, Ronaldo surpassed Íker Casillas, a former Real Madrid teammate, who previously held the record with a total 98 wins in the tournament.
Interestingly, both players have played the majority of their UCL games for Real Madrid.